The current debate about fake university degrees in Kenya is a wake up call to our institutions that something needs to be done to save the common Kenyan that has worked very hard to acquire the university degree genuinely.
To weed out the vice, a strong proposal needs to be written to all key stake holders in the higher education system in Kenya ( Ministry of Education, Commission for University Education ( CUE), All Public & Private Universities and Tertiary colleges).
This is how the system works. On graduation all universities are given access to upload the details of all students graduating including digital copies of their degree certificates into the national / regional degree database . Employers and other organizations like IEBC, CID , Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission can then subscribe to the database at a small fee.
When one applies for a job the person does not need to attach any copy of the degree certificate. The agencies will just need the person’s ID ( Huduma Number), Names, Date Of Birth) to verify the person’s credentials remotely through a centralised national / regional database system. It is called e-verify.
Degree scandals in Kenya is a creation of the Kenyan government because the government has the ability to embrace technology driven digital solutions.
The government of Kenya needs to protect Kenyans with genuine university degrees.
It is also rediculous if the law makers like MPs / Senators are the beneficiaries of fake degrees racket.
Do you think they can pass a legislation in parliament for establishment of a National/ Regional Degree Database in Kenya as is the case in the developed world.
Such initiatives can lead to creation of alot of job opportunities in the digital space.
Let the next government give a chance to Kenyans in diaspora to help with setting up such systems.
In some countries in diaspora universities use e-verify to validate credentials of degree certificates. The same can be applied to the Kenyan case.
In Kenya we have the East African passport that allows passport holders to travel to member countries without a visa.
The same can be applied in the creation of Regional Database for verififcation of University degrees in East Africa Community member states.
For those who have attended foreign universities, it is their responsibility to contact the Commission for university Education to enter their degrees in the database if they plan to work in Kenya or East Africa in general to avoid cross border forgery of university degrees.
By Pius Odhiambo
Graduate ( PhD) Student
Department of Computer Science
Bowie State University
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Fake Degrees In Kenyan: Simple Technology Solution By A Diaspora Kenyan
